Yanira Maldonado, Arizona Mother of Seven, Freed From Mexican Jail

An Arizona mother of seven jailed in Mexico for a week on a drug-smuggling charge has been freed after a court dismissed the allegations after key security footage emerged.

Yanira Maldonado, 42, walked out of the prison on the outskirts of Nogales, Mexico late Thursday night and straight into her husband's arms, a broad smile on her face.

"Many thanks to everyone, especially my God who let me go free, my family, my children, who with their help, I was able to survive this test," said Maldonado, who also offered appreciation to United States state department officials, her lawyers and prison workers whom she said helped made her stay comfortable.

Jose Francisco Benitez Paz, the family's lawyer in Nogales, said a judge determined Thursday Maldonado was no longer a suspect and all allegations against her were dropped.

"She lived through a nightmare," he said after his client was released.

Maldonado's freedom came hours after court officials reviewed security footage showing the couple boarding a commercial bus traveling from Mexico to Phoenix with only blankets, bottles of water and her purse in hand.

Maldonado was arrested by Mexican military last week after they found nearly 12 pounds (5.4 kilograms) of Marijuana under her bus seat during a stop at a security checkpoint.

Benitez asserted the bags of pot indicated a sophisticated smuggling operation that included securing packets of drugs underneath passenger seats with metal hooks - an effort that would have been impossible for a passenger.

He said witness testimony as well as the surveillance video proved Maldonado was innocent.

"There is justice in this country," he said.

Gary Maldonado said he too was originally arrested after the marijuana was found under his wife's bus seat, but after his wife begged the soldiers to allow her to go with them to serve as a translator, the military officials decided to release Gary and arrest Yanira instead.

Gary Maldonado said authorities originally demanded $5,000 for his wife's release, but the sum fell through.

"Here, we are guilty until you are proven innocent," he said.

The Maldonados were traveling home to the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear after attending the funeral of one of Yanira's aunts in the city of Los Mochis when they were arrested.

The bus reportedly passed through at least two checkpoints on the way to the border without incident.

Then, in the town of Querobabi in the border state of Sonora, all the passengers were ordered off the bus, a soldier searching the interior as they waited.

The soldier exited and reported to his superiors that packets of drugs had been found under seat 39, Yanira Maldonado's, and another seat, number 42. Her husband was in seat 40.

Mexican officials provided local media with photos that they said were of the packages Maldonado was accused of smuggling. Each was about 5 inches high and 20 inches wide, roughly the width of a bus seat.

Yanira Maldonado is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Mexico, her family said. The couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary while she was in jail.

Drug traffickers have increasingly used passenger buses to move drugs through Mexico and into the U.S., prompting Mexican federal agents and soldiers to set up checkpoints along the country's main highways

Mexico's justice system is carried out largely in secret, with proceedings done mainly in writing.

U.S. politicians portrayed Maldonado as a victim of a corrupt judicial system and demanded her release.

The office of Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said earlier that he "has had multiple conversations with the deputy Mexican ambassador."